Missing scenes
by HR always live on
Summary: My version of scenes I would have liked to have seen in spooks. Some HR stuff too. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome!
1. Chapter 1

_This takes place at the end of episode 8:2. I always hated how the camera cut away from this conversation so I have made my own version of events._

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><p>"It really is breathtakingly simple sometimes. Home Secretary I have to talk to you about something that's not simple at all. Do you remember Ruth Evershed?" Harry asked rubbing his face in irritation.<p>

"Vaguely," Nicholas Blake replied. "She was one of your officers wasn't she? Intelligence analysis? Is that right?"

"Yes," Harry said wondering how on earth this was going to be solved.

"I thought she drowned," the Home Secretary continued, pouring each of them a little more whisky.

"Well, as it turned out she didn't," Harry said wondering what reaction he would get. None as it turned out. "She was innocent of the torture charges that were put against her but we could never prove it. So we arranged it so she could go into exile for several years. A better alternative than prison."

"Breaking the law as you went," the Home Secretary said with a raised eyebrow.

"At the time, my priorities involved making sure she wasn't thrown into prison for something she didn't do," Harry continued smoothly. "Yes, I didn't follow the law to the letter but I'd do it again. For any of my officers." Harry knew he was bending the truth there slightly because no one could possibly make him have the same reaction as Ruth did.

"How did you get the authorities to believe she'd drowned in the Thames?" Nicholas asked, genuinely curious.

"They said they'd found a body matching Ruth's description," Harry said trying to hide from the painful memory. "I went to the morgue to ID the body and I said it was her. I lied."

"I like to think I know you well Harry," Nicholas said. "So I am guessing you're not telling me all this, just to relive the times you made difficult decisions. What do you want from me?"

"Ruth is back in this country," Harry said. "Without going into too much detail, her life in Cyprus fell apart after she was forced to come back to London. She has nothing to go back there for." He hoped that last part was true. He also hoped she felt she had something to stay for. Someone more accurately.

"How did she get back into the country when she's supposed to be dead?" the Home Secretary asked. "She couldn't have had a valid passport."

"Ruth Evershed is a very ingenious woman," Harry replied feeling a flash of pride in her abilities. "I am bringing this up because I need her back. I need her back at Thames House where she belongs. I need her to be able to work in this country without a warrant going out for her arrest and I need it to be possible for the necessary people to be aware that she is in fact alive."

"You don't want much do you?" Nicholas said sarcastically.

"Forgetting everything else, she is the best analyst I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She gets everything done in half the time anyone else would and I need her to help me catch terrorists. You know, to stop bombs destroying our capital city," he added pointedly .

"I'll see what I can do," Nicholas replied.

"No, you can do better than that," Harry said surely with a menacing tone in his voice.

"Is this really that important to you?" the Home Secretary asked.

"Yes." Harry didn't dare say just how important it was.

"Okay," Nicholas said. "I'll arrange it."

"Thank you," Harry said sincerely. He quickly left the Home Secretary alone to his thoughts.

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><p>This was not a good development, Nicholas thought to himself. That woman was too clever for her own good. And as an added complication she had a nasty habit of digging up people's most personal and private secrets. And he did not want his involvement in Nightingale drawn out. He had made sure the trails were well hidden but if anyone was going to find it, Ruth Evershed would be the one to manage it. He hadn't shed any tears when Ruth had quickly vanished because it made his life much easier.<p>

But on the other hand, he knew, or at least suspected how much Harry cared for this woman. And it might not be a bad thing to have Harry Pearce owe him a favour. In fact, that might be the best thing that could happen. Which is why he agreed to do what Harry had asked him to do.

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><p><em>What do you think? Reviews are always welcome.<em>

_ If you want to see more and have a suggestion for other scenes that were cut and you want me to write, just message me and I'll try to write them. Thanks for reading. xxx_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you more-than-words for the idea of setting a scene between 8.8 and 9.1. This takes place just after series eight ends._

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><p>Harry stood stock still, staring at the hotel which had just blown up with Ros Myers still trapped inside. He closed his eyes, hating the fact that he had another loss to add to so many before. When he opened them he was pleased to see that Lucas was walking. He only had a grazed arm from the force of the explosion and that was the extent of the damage.<p>

Harry knew he would have to get back to Thames House and quickly. If nothing else, he wanted to talk to Ruth before anyone else told her the news. He hated being the bringer of bad news, but knew he would prefer it if she heard it from him. Lucas was currently being checked out by paramedics even though he'd complained that it was unnecessary. Harry left the scene and hurried back to the grid.

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><p>Both Ruth and Tariq were waiting anxiously for news. Ruth had tried to call Harry's mobile several times but she wasn't getting through. She hated the thought that this might be because something had happened to him. Something she couldn't bring herself to put into words. Ruth turned around quickly as the pods whirred open. She breathed a sigh of relief as Harry walked onto the grid, looking none the worse for wear. She brought herself out of her momentary daydream and asked the next important question.<p>

"What happened?" she asked.

"Lucas managed to get the Pakistani president out of there and world catastrophe was averted," Harry started.

"What aren't you telling me?" Ruth said when he paused.

"The bomb went off," Harry said. "Ros was inside."

"Oh no," Ruth said to herself. She sat down in a chair because she didn't think she could stay standing for much longer. "You're sure?" Ruth asked.

"Yes," Harry said firmly. He watched her close her eyes and try to control her face. She didn't want him to see her fall apart. Harry looked at Tariq for a second. The computer genius knew when he wasn't wanted and quickly vanished from the grid, leaving Ruth and Harry alone. Tariq didn't particularly want to be left alone with those two anyway.

"Ruth," Harry said quietly walking fractionally closer to her.

"Don't," she replied without looking at him. "There's nothing you can say to make her death easier."

"I wasn't intending to," Harry said in a tone of voice that made her look up at him. "Ruth I need to talk to you."

"Ros has just died. I think whatever you want to say can wait," Ruth said harshly. When Harry didn't reply she apologised. "I'm sorry. I know you knew her for a lot longer than I did."

"Yes," Harry said softly. "I did." He moved a hand to hers and held it softly.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Ruth said. "I can't be here. I just… can't." Ruth barely paused to pick up her coat and bag. When she was in the pods she kept her eyes locked on Harry's for the few seconds it took for the doors to open. Then she left the grid and she didn't look back, no matter how much she wanted to.

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><p><em>Review please. Any other ideas?<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_An extended ending to episode 4:9 (one of my favourite spooks episodes) but I hope it__'s still at least partly realistic._

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><p>"I'll catch the last bus," Ruth said in a falsely calm voice. Harry stared at her for a long moment, before retreating to his office. He opened a file that had been on his desk, taking a small amount of comfort in the fact that he knew Ruth was working on the other side of his office wall. He tried to concentrate on the file in front of him but it was proving surprisingly difficult. From time to time he looked up and saw Ruth staring at her computer screen avidly. He wondered if she glanced back at him at all when he was pretending to read the file in front of him and desperately hoped she did.<p>

He was trying to resist temptation to look at her again when a knock on his office door bright him out of his reverie. He barely had time to look up when Ruth opened the door.

"I'm going home," she said quietly.

"Okay," Harry replied softly and got up from his seat quickly.

"Do you need me to do anything before I go?" Ruth asked, simply because she wanted to keep the conversation going. He looked at her and walked closer to her slowly before talking.

"No," Harry said. "Go and get some sleep, until we have another batch of terrorists to catch."

"Okay," she said, knowing when she was beaten.

Harry reached for her before he could mentally talk himself out of it, running his thumb along the back of her hand softly. "Take care."

"I will," Ruth said, feeling her skin burn where Harry touched her. "I'll see you tomorrow Harry."

She let herself enjoy his touch for a few more precious seconds before she drew away. "Bye Harry ." Ruth turned and left his office quickly. Being trapped in a confined space with Harry was not doing her blood pressure any favours. She took a second glance back at him but only allowed her gaze to linger for a second before she went into the pods and left the grid.

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><p><em>I know it's a short one but I had to write it. Leave a review to make me smile.<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Set in 8:3 just after Ros shoots Jo._

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><p>She took one look at Harry's face and knew instantly that something was wrong. He didn't say a word and put the phone down. After a moment he raised his gaze to look into Ruth's eyes. She knew from his face someone had died without him even having to say a word.<p>

"No," she whispered shaking her head. "Who?" she asked in a breath.

"Jo," he said quietly.

"No…" Ruth said in a voice that Harry could barely hear. She turned and left his office, not wanting to fall apart in front of him. She didn't get very far before she felt the tears begin to flow. Closing her eyes she put her hands out to brace herself against the wall.

"Oh God," she said to herself. Jo, the woman who had suffered so much from what the service had done to her, had now given her life for her country. She had always been incredibly fond of her, Jo was one of the best friends she had made during her years at MI5. When she had come back from Cyprus she was relieved to find her still alive, if sad that she had not been happy. Adam and Zaf had died before she ever had the chance to see them again and a small part of her was glad that she managed to see Jo again before her life was taken from her. But that made the grief so much more intense than the deaths she had learned of second hand.

She didn't turn around but she didn't need to, to know who was standing behind her. Always alert to Harry's presence as she was, she knew he had come out of his office and was watching her even though she wasn't facing him.

"How?" Ruth asked facing the wall.

"She was shot," Harry said in a falsely calm voice. "Ros had to do it before Lambert pushed the trigger to blow everyone up."

"Oh," Ruth said, still turned away from him. Harry wanted to comfort her. He wanted to say anything that would make her pain lessen slightly. He never wanted to see her in pain. Thinking carefully before he did anything, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the heat of her skin through the layers she wore, just from that simple contact.

"That won't make it better Harry," she said rubbing the trails of her tears away from her face quickly. His hand dropped from her as she turned around to face him. He felt a moment of admiration for her eyes which had gone even bluer than usual due to the tears she was trying to hold in. That quickly evaporated when he remembered why she was so upset. Why they were both devastated. Because Harry couldn't really comprehend Jo's death either.

"Look, I know its my first day back but…"

"Go home," Harry said knowing that was what she was going to say. Knowing that was what she needed from him.

"Thank you," she said. She turned to leave and then felt Harry's grip tighten on her wrist.

"Do you… I could give you a lift home. If you want," Harry said slowly.

"No," Ruth said firmly. "You have to stay here and I am perfectly able to get home by myself. I managed to get to Cyprus by myself."

"I know," Harry said. "I remember. And I wish I couldn't," he added to himself.

"I'll be here tomorrow," she said calmly. A stray tear fell down her cheek and Harry debated whether it would be crossing their relationship boundaries if he brushed it away for her. Added to that was the desperate desire he felt to touch her face. Before he could act on the impulse Ruth's fingers made the tear disappear and she walked away from him. He felt a sense of loss as the pods whirred and she vanished from sight. He always did when she was gone.

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><p><em>I'm trying to add a little fluff without it altering the storyline we've already seen on screen. What do you think? Successful or not? Thanks for all the reviews so far.<em>


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you BostonSpooksFan for this idea. Its more of an altered scene than a missing one but I hope it still works._

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><p>Ruth stood next to Malcolm on the balcony, overlooking a grey London landscape. She hadn't seen him in so long that in spite of the danger and horrible circumstances she was incredibly pleased to see him.<p>

"How is everyone?" Ruth asked. "Jo, Adam, Zaf. Even Ros. How are they all?" She had purposefully left out the one person she wanted news about the most. She wasn't sure she wanted to know how Harry was managing without her. She wasn't sure which would be worse to hear, that he had been fine without her or that he had actually missed her. Malcolm had looked at his hands, unwilling to be the one to break the news to her. "What is it?" Ruth asked, knowing from his silence that something was wrong.

"Adam and Zaf," Malcolm started. "They…"

"No," Ruth said quietly. He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. "How?" she whispered.

"Adam was blown up by a car bomb," Malcolm said. "It was quick, he wouldn't have felt anything." Ruth closed her eyes, hating that she could so easily imagine her friend being obliterated like that. Adam always had run just a little too close to danger and she wasn't surprised that he had eventually got burnt, but that didn't stop the sadness and the grief she felt. When she felt able to speak she asked the next question that was burning through her mind.

"And Zaf?" Ruth asked.

"Bad," Malcolm said. "It was really bad. He was taken by spy catchers only a few months after you left. He was tortured and after several months imprisonment he died."

"Oh, God no," Ruth said to herself. "Poor Zaf. To die like that. Didn't you try and track him down?"

"We tried," Malcolm said firmly. "Believe me, I spent several sleepless nights on the grid trying to find him, but I couldn't. We couldn't."

"So he died completely alone, in agony," Ruth said. "Thinking no one cared. Thinking no one had remembered him." Malcolm turned to face her and covered her hand with his own to comfort her.

"There was nothing we could do," he said slowly. "But all the effort we put into finding Zaf wasn't completely wasted. It helped us when they took Jo."

Ruth turned to look at him. "No. Don't tell me… Jo died too?"

"No," he reassured her quickly. "They took her and Adam but we managed to get them back fairly quickly. Jo still suffers from trauma from time to time. She took it really badly." Malcolm was not going to tell Ruth the ordeal Jo had suffered at the hands of Boscard. If Jo wanted her to know, she would tell her herself. It was not his place.

They both stayed silent as the minutes rolled by. When Ruth had taken enough time to absorb what Malcolm had told her she asked the question that had been burning through her, ever since she knew she was coming back to London.

"How is he Malcolm?" He didn't need clarification. He knew she was talking about Harry. And he couldn't give her good news. "What's happened?"

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><p><em>Reviews are always loved and they only take a minute. Please make my day and leave one.<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_This is from 5:1 and I've copied a bit of the script to put it into context._

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><p>"Ruth wouldn't allow me to make this call unless I added she thinks its time you got someone permanent for Wes," Harry said into the phone, resisting from rolling his eyes with difficulty.<p>

"I haven't got time…" Adam said.

"No no, I'll do it Adam, leave it with me." Ruth wondered if she'd overstepped the mark. "Well, as long as you trust me to get the right person."

"I trust you," Adam said honestly.

"Get some rest," Ruth said. Adam hung up the phone and Ruth suddenly realised how close she was to Harry. To speak to Adam she had leant closer to the phone with the result that her arm was brushing against Harry's.

"Satisfied?" Harry asked with reference to the phone call. She drew away from him a few inches to give her breathing space and time to think.

"I'm not wrong," Ruth said moving to sit on the opposite side of Harry's desk. "You know he needs help with Wes."

"Yes," he agreed. "But did you not trust me to mention it if I was alone?"

"Of course I trust you," Ruth said quickly into a suddenly heavy silence. Harry raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing leaving her biting her lip anxiously, wondering what he was thinking. "Well, I should go, because I have a nanny to find as well as everything else I have to do." She got up and was about to leave when Harry called her back.

"Ruth?" Harry said. She turned and faced him, waiting for him to continue. "Don't wear yourself out. Follow your own advice and get some rest."

"Yes Harry," she agreed before leaving his office. They both knew she wouldn't but it comforted her slightly to know he worried about her. What she didn't know was that as she sat down at her desk, Harry's eyes had been following her, intensely staring through the blinds. She didn't see his eyes tracing the curve of her neck as she picked up the phone. She didn't notice the glint in his hazel eyes as she began to type and talk at the same time, multitasking in the way she did so well. It took about ten minutes for Ruth to finish her phone call and then she glanced at Harry's office. She could have sworn she saw the blinds flicker as someone moved away from them. She smiled to herself, feeling incredibly pleased that he had been watching her. The pleasure she felt faded as her phone rang again and she decided to concentrate on her job, at least for the time being.

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><p><em>I think this fits in well with their relationship at the time. What do you think?<em>


	7. Chapter 7

_This is just a little additional scene that came to me when I was watching 5:5. _

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><p>"So, where is she?" Harry asked Adam as they walked down the corridor of the morgue. Adam's silence was deafening. "Come on, I know you know. Just tell me where she is."<p>

"She told me to stay quiet. She doesn't want you to know," Adam said quietly.

"I don't believe you," Harry said in a forceful voice. One that usually made people do what he wanted. At this present moment in time it wasn't being particularly effective as displayed by Adam's silence. Harry decided to be quiet until they left the building and then turned to face him.

"I need to know where she is Adam. I just… I need to know."

"She's fine," Adam said. "She'll be taking a long trip abroad."

"From where?" Harry asked instantly. Adam hesitated and Harry jumped in. "This is the last chance I have to ever see her again before she vanishes into thin air. She's too good at her job to be found if she doesn't want to be. If you don't tell me I'll decommission you."

"You wouldn't," Adam said incredulously.

"Try me," Harry said with a growl in his voice. "I'll never see her again. Tell me. Please."

It was the word please from a man who very rarely said please to anyone that tipped Adam's resolve over the edge. So he told Harry what he wanted to know.

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><p><em>Please leave a review and tell me what you think.<em>


	8. Chapter 8

_5:4. I haven't watched the episode for a while so the script which I've copied might not be word for word accurate. Here goes…_

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><p>"I'll have management ask him to turn it down," Ruth added aware she was rambling.<p>

"Ruth…" Harry started with a glint in his eye she couldn't help but notice.

"Goodnight Harry," she said quickly and ran back to her hotel room. She shut the door and leant against it with her eyes screwed tightly shut and one word pounding through her head. Coward coward coward! She ran her hands over her hair in frustration. This was hopeless. If she kept running away from him nothing would change. She took a deep breath and turned the door knob slowly. She walked out into the hotel hall and was disappointed to find it empty. She sighed and wondered if she'd blown her shot. That night she didn't get much sleep.

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><p>"Goodnight Harry," Ruth said and turned away from him. Harry wanted desperately to stop her. To make her talk to him but he couldn't think of anything to say before she vanished. He walked to her hotel door and raised his hand to knock but then he thought better of it. She clearly didn't want to talk to him, no matter how much it hurt him. He would leave her for tonight. Maybe one day soon things would change for the better between the two of them. He hoped so anyway. Harry turned from her hotel door and walked purposefully to his own room. If he stood there for too long the temptation would get the better of him.<p>

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><p><em>Okay, I know its a tiny update but I hope you like it anyway. Please review!<em>


	9. Chapter 9

_Set sometime early in series six. In response to my conviction that spooks is going to have a very unhappy HR ending. That and watching a lot of brilliant fan videos on you tube which I would highly recommend._

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><p>Ruth picked up the phone slowly. Anxiously. And she hadn't even dialled the number yet. But she knew she would. She had been picking up and putting the phone down all week without ever pushing a single button. But this time she was determined. The phone to her ear she took in a deep breath and slowly hit the number, so familiar to her it was almost burned into her brain. Her index finger hovered over the final three. Closing her eyes she pushed the button and waited for the call to connect. It rang once and her fingers were clasped so hard to the phone that she was losing feeling in them but she couldn't let go. It rang again. He wasn't going to answer. He wasn't at the grid. He was busy. He might even be at home. Three rings.<p>

"Yes?" It was him and her breath escaped her in a sigh. She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling light headed. She hadn't actually expected him to answer. To pick up the phone. To be at Thames House. She could hear him breathing down the phone line in the quiet silence and the fact that he hadn't hung up yet told her that he knew who was calling her. With her eyes still closed she imagined how he would look. Sitting behind his desk, maybe tie undone, definitely a glass of whisky next to him, staring into nothingness, concentrating on the call. She wanted to be in London. She wanted to be near him. Just to see him across the grid. She needed to see him. Calling him was probably a bad idea, she guessed. She moved her hand to the button that would disconnect the call but didn't press it for another few seconds. She waited to hear him breathe in one last time and then put the phone down, the tears silently falling down her face. It took a long time for her to pull herself together and leave the phone box.

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><p>In London Harry could feel the sadness and the longing and the missed opportunities cloud him. But through all that he felt one surge of hope. She was alive. She was alive, and that was what mattered.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

_A tiny little chapter. No HR, Dimitri and Erin. Somewhere between 10:1 and 10:4_

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><p>Dimitri was waiting for his computer to shut down and watched Erin walk across the grid picking up her jacket. She came within earshot and Dimitri thought he'd give it a shot. She looked so wonderful that he couldn't resist. "Erin, do you want to get a drink with me?" he asked as she flicked her hair out of her jacket. She smiled and sat down opposite him chewing her lip lightly, debating what to say.<p>

"I can't," she said, her eyes still sparkling. "I'd love to, honestly. But I can't."

"Do you want to explain or do you want to remain an enigmatic mystery for a while longer?" Dimitri asked as he watched her deep in thought. She seemed to be considering whether to tell him the truth or not.

"I have to get home," she said. "I want to see my daughter."

"You have a daughter," Dimitri said calmly, trying to hide his surprise.

"Yes, she's five," Erin said with a smile. "Rosie. She's gorgeous." Dimitri nodded, loving the way her face lit up when she mentioned her child.

"Maybe some other time then," Dimitri said.

"Yeah, some other time. Definitely," Erin said, a smile hovering on her lips. She stood and looked at him a second before turning to the pods. Dimitri smiled and watched her walk away. Maybe something would happen there he thought and his hopes were raised for the future.


	11. Chapter 11

**Its been a long time for this fic! Set way back at the beginning of series 2. Good old HR. And if anyone else has any "missing scenes" let me know and I'll try and write them.**

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><p>Harry sighed as he stood up from behind his desk. Today was not going to be an enjoyable day, he knew that but he also knew it was unavoidable. Tess had been disgraced more than a month ago and still he hadn't found a replacement analyst for her and the work was piling up. He never enjoyed the sting of betrayal, and it was worse when it was from someone he had worked with for a long time. The fact that he had to hire someone new, someone whom he had never met before to work closely with him, looking over all the available information they had access to did not exactly fill him with encouragement or hope. He had been offered the opportunity to avoid going to the interviews today, which while sounding like a good offer, would turn out badly in the long run. He wanted to be the one to pick who was working with him. Not some stupid politician and then he'd have to suffer with whoever the idiots chose for him. No, he had to make the choice himself. Even though that left him with a very tedious forthcoming day. There was a knock on the door and he shrugged his coat on. "Yes?"<p>

Tom came in looking his usual self. "Oh, are you leaving already?"

"Yes, I have to replenish our staff it seems," Harry said. "Are Zoë and Danny…?"

"Out on surveillance, but nothings happening. You won't be missed and everything will be fine."

"Do try to avoid calling me unless its absolutely necessary," Harry said.

"I didn't think you wanted to sit in interviews all day," Tom said.

"I don't," he said. "But I'd rather like to know as much as possible about our next recruit. I'm going to be late. Don't blow the building up in my absence."

"Calm down Harry," Tom said. "I have been known to manage by myself." Harry nodded and then left his office. No matter what he told Tom, this wasn't going to be a good day for him.

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><p>Harry approached an anonymous boring government building, pleased he was only slightly late. He made his way to the lift and the doors were just closing when he heard her voice for the first time.<p>

"Oh, damn it. Hold the door please!" And being a gentleman, Harry obliged. "Thank you," she breathed as the lift door closed behind her.

"You're welcome," he said quietly. He was taking in her beautiful blue eyes which had been the thing he'd instantly noticed about her. Bright, honest and intelligent eyes that seemed to know more than they should. Her just above shoulder length brown hair curled slightly at the ends giving him a rather lovely view of the smooth expanse of her neck. She was dressed conservatively in a white blouse and a full length skirt, but even so it couldn't hide the fact that she had an amazing figure and judging by the way she was dressed, she didn't like to flaunt it either. She was at least ten years younger than himself, maybe more but very attractive. He could tell instantly that she wasn't his usual type at all, Not showy or flirtatious but then again, that didn't really bother him. This appraisal of her took maybe three seconds. The lift had barely begun to move when he turned to her.

"I'm Harry," he said. Then he felt like kicking himself. Firstly because he'd given this mystery woman his real name, and secondly because he hadn't come up with a more imaginative opening line than that. She turned and faced him.

"Would that be Harry Pearce?" she asked with a slightly quirked eyebrow. He inclined his head slightly, trying to hide his surprise at the fact she knew his name. "Well it would seem that I'm trying to get a job with you. Head of counter terrorism? Section D? Since 1996? Your section chief at the moment is Tom Quinn. Am I right?"

"Where did you get that information from?" Harry asked quickly, trying to hide that she'd slightly awed him already.

"You think I'd apply for a job without knowing who I'm trying to impress?" she said with a slight smile. Normally in this point in proceedings Harry would ask her for a drink. However, it was in the middle of a professional setting and he didn't think that approach with this woman would be welcomed.

"You could at least tell me your name," he countered.

"Ruth," she said, brushing her hair out of her face as her eyes sparkled at him, almost knowingly. "Ruth Evershed." By this time the lift had come to a stop on the third floor.

"I'll see you in the interview room then," she said with a smile that illuminated her features beautifully. She left the lift, leaving Harry somewhat speechless. It had been a long time since a woman had done that to him. Quickly moving before the doors closed, he thought that maybe today wasn't going to be a total loss after all.


	12. Chapter 12

**Based on theoofoof's suggestion about when Ruth's step brother died. Set late S3.**

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><p>There was a slight gap in Harry's blinds and he was watching the team at work. Danny and Fiona were chatting while they organised the latest surveillance tapes, Adam was out meeting an asset, Malcolm was doing something technical with his toys and Ruth was on the phone. His eyes lingered over her as they usually did. So he was watching as he saw her face go pale and she put the phone down, staring into space. Making up his mind quickly he left his office and approached her desk, relieved that no one was around her.<p>

"Ruth?" She looked up at him and blinked as if confused. "Is everything alright?" He knew it wasn't, but thought he'd give her the opportunity to confide in him, rather than demanding the truth. From the look on her face, he guessed it to be personal as opposed to professional.

"My step brother…" she said quietly. She looked around to make sure no one was in ear shot before elaborating. Harry felt relieved that she was choosing to talk to him. "He shot himself. He's dead."

"Oh God," he said in reaction to her news. He didn't know what else to say to her, but from the looks of it she wasn't really listening to him anyway. Her eyes were cast down and her face was distant. "You can take some time off if you want."

"No," she said instinctively. "I barely knew him. I haven't even seen him since Christmas. I just can't believe things were so bad for him that he thought he had no way out."

"What can I do?" Harry said once the silence between them had become unbearable.

"Pass me that file," Ruth said.

"Ruth…"

"We weren't close Harry," she added. "I'm surprised and a little shocked, but I'll be better if I can throw myself into work."

"Okay," he said picking up the file in question and giving it to her. "You know where I am if you change your mind."

"Thanks Harry." He could tell she was sincere. "Can you not… tell anyone?"

"I won't say a word," he said swiftly, his eyes smiling at her. She nodded in gratitude and turned back to her work as Harry returned to his office.


	13. Chapter 13

**Small scene inspired by LouBelle04's suggestion. Set at the end of 3-7, when Andrew Forrestal kidnapped Ruth...**

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><p>Harry rang her doorbell, feeling very anxious. He'd never visited Ruth's house before, but once he'd found out that Andrew Forrestal had taken her, he realised that she wasn't simply just another colleague to him. He brought himself back to the present as she opened the door and let him in without looking at him, going into the kitchen and switching the kettle on.<p>

"You checked yourself out of hospital," Harry said quietly.

"Yes," she said simply. "I'm only suffering from slight exhaustion from being tied to a banister for nearly twenty four hours. I thought I could do my recovery from home. Why are you here?" For the first time since he'd entered her house, she looked at him.

"I wanted to apologise," he said.

"What on earth for?" she asked in surprise.

"I should have known something was wrong when you didn't come in to work," he said sadly. "It would have saved you quite a few hours of… well."

"Why didn't you think it odd that I wasn't there?" Ruth asked.

"He sent a text in on your phone. I just assumed… I shouldn't have." Ruth nodded and shrugged at the same time. "You don't look okay."

She sighed before answering the hidden question there. "Harry, I've never… seen someone die before. He just dropped dead in front of me." She shook her head with closed eyes. "The diamonds were poisoned?"

"Yes," Harry said. "Thank God you didn't touch them," he added sincerely. She poured herself a cup of tea and then he caught sight of the red marks around her wrists. He grabbed her hand quickly, before thinking about it and she winced involuntarily.

"Sorry," he said letting her go. "You are not coming into work tomorrow. If you do, I'll have a car waiting to take you straight back home. Is that understood?"

"Yes Harry," she said wearily, but she was smiling. "Do you want tea?"

"No. I'll leave you in peace." She nodded once and felt a little of her numbness fading. "I'll see you Monday."

"Bye Harry." He left her house and Ruth added sugar to her tea. As she wrapped her hands around the mug, she suddenly felt a little happier. How was it that Harry always had this affect on her? She'd give that some thought over the coming days. Absolutely.


End file.
